Why UNRWA, A Lifeline For Palestinians, Is Struggling For Survival In Lebanon - SWI Swissinfo.Ch

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is facing an existential crisis. A visit to the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut shows how a political tug-of-war is playing out in the lives of the affected population. This content was published on February 19, 2026 - 09:00 6 minutes

Where does Switzerland stand in the world? And where is it heading? I focus on current and possible future developments. After completing my studies (history, law and European studies), I worked for a time at the Swiss embassy in Athens. I have journalistic experience at home and abroad, at the local and national levels, as a freelancer and as a staff journalist. Today, it's with an international focus.

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The health centre tucked away in the narrow alleys is not as run-down as the surrounding buildings, but it has certainly seen better days. This is where Palestinians can receive medical care. The centre is run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which was established in 1949.

Wafaa El Hajj, 55, has come to collect medicine for her elderly mother.“I don't earn enough to buy it on the market,” says El Hajj, who works in the kindergarten's administration.“Sometimes, they can help. Sometimes they cannot.”

Palestinians are excluded from Lebanon's healthcare system, and poverty rates in the community hover between 70% and 80%. Hence, UNRWA's budget cuts have hit them particularly hard. El Hajj knows the consequences of this all too well: one of her sisters died from an illness because the family could not afford medical treatment.

“We live an unfair life – we even have to beg for medicine,” she says.“Without UNRWA, we would have nothing at all.”

Swiss funds – with strings attached

The health centre was co-funded by Switzerland, one of UNRWA's long-standing donors. The relationship between Switzerland and UNRWA goes beyond money as both the current commissioner, Philippe Lazzarini, and his predecessor, Pierre Krähenbühl, are Swiss.

After the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks against Israel, in which 1,200 people died, Swiss ties with UNRWA broke down. Like many other countries, Switzerland temporarily suspended payments following allegations by the Israeli government that UNRWA staff were involved in the attacks. UNRWA subsequently dismissedExternal link nine employees after an investigation found possible links with Hamas. Since then, Swiss funds can no longer be used to support operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which cover Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Switzerland now channels its support through other organisations in the region.

'The financial situation is precarious'

UNRWA was already in dire financial straits before the 2023 terrorist attacks and the allegations that followed. In an interview with Swissinfo in spring 2023, UNRWA commissioner Lazzarini already warned that the organisation could collapse.

You can find the full interview here:

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Palestinians are barred from working in Lebanon's public sector, registering their own businesses, or owning property. They are also excluded from 38 professions.“This is the reason why the organisation is a vital lifeline,” says Dorothee Klaus, UNRWA's director in Lebanon.

UNRWA itself is fighting for survival. As a UN agency, it is directly affected by the fragmentation of the multilateral system. Political attacks and withheld or unpledged funds have further weakened the agency.“The agency's financial situation remains extremely dire and unpredictable, forcing it to manage its budget month by month,” says Klaus.

UNRWA's funds are modest to start with. In Lebanon, they amount to US$110 million (CHF84 million) annually, which works out to just under US$490 (CHF374) per head for the approximately 225,000 Palestinians. By comparison, Lebanon's GDP per capita is around US$3,500 (CHF2,670), according to the World BankExternal link.

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The Palestinians have a strong bond with UNRWA. El Hajj's tales make clear that the organisation is more than just an aid agency but has long been an integral part of their national identity.“UNRWA has been a witness to our displacement, the Nakba, from the very beginning,” she says.

Under international law and the principle of family unity, the descendants of Palestinian refugees also inherit this statusExternal link in the absence of a political solution. For this reason, critics of UNRWA have long accused the agency of perpetuating the Israel-Palestinian conflict. A striking example came in 2018, when the Swiss Foreign Minister, Ignazio Cassis, said UNRWA was“part of the problem”. His remark marked a complete turnaround from his predecessors, who had been strong supporters of the agency.

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